Tribute to Stirling Mortlock

Moses November 6, 2009 27

Four more years Carlos. Image credit to Evie.

I sincerely hope that we will see Stirling Mortlock in Green and Gold again, but the chances are getting very slim with a calf injury injury ruling him out of the NH tour and a likely Japanese signing around the corner.

Stirlo is and will always be my favourite rugby player. He truly won me over during the 2003 world cup semi-final with a certain intercept try which condemned the kiwi’s 4 more years. I recall it was 7am at the time and I was in a Walkabout pub in London drinking Lager/Cider/Raspberry pints when my mate declared “my first born son will be called Stirling”. Stirling Townsend is 4 this year.

Mortlock’s arsenal of spare body parts has kept him competitive this long – he’s always had a unique ability to replace a limb without missing a tackle. Yet, and this is the paradox of Stirling, he remains incapable of wiping the grass cuttings from his forehead 20 minutes after a game to give an interview.

He was also one hell of a pressure goal kicker, winning the 2000 Tri-Nations in Durban as well as many games for the Brumbies under intense pressure with the boot.

Lance Free has penned some lovely words of memorial for Stirling which I will quote below:

Morty, you’ve been a f*ckin champion player over the past 9 years and outstanding captain. Thank you for all that you’ve done for Australian rugby over that time.

My memory is of you kicking Bledisloe and Tri-Nations Cup winning goals, RWC tries and absolutely smashing some damned good rugby players in your time.

You have been a champion for all of us. In my view, you’ve been the outstanding centre of the decade. You took over the captaincy from a legend and continued in a similar manner.

You were on top of your profession and a world class player. I salute you.

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Moses spends far too long on G&GR, dealing with the totality of the strength and conditioning, the medical, the rugby side of things, strategy, the review, preview of the internet itself and also the individuals. A Waratahs apologist and rib-eye steak enthusiast, he is often found working behind the scenes keeping the G&GR juggernaut afloat.

Discussion »

Lance Free

Here here – the people’s champion.
Jason

Brings a tear to my eye. Love the photo.
Rocky Elboa

Absolute Legend, I think we will see him again… at the very least he deserves a send off game
http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/ Gagger

Yeah, surely Captain Insano can’t go out like this.
Rhyso

Goosebumps… four more years boys.

It’s not on YouTube any more, but Bledisloe 2007 was a great memory as well – Stirlo ran a great line to expose McAlister, stepped McCaw, hit the afterburners (surprising pace!), drew the defence, and popped a beautiful ball over the top to Staniforth to win the game: Mortlock exposes Kiwi vulnerability
- Rhyso
  
  Yeah okay I’m replying to myself, but seriously, anyone reading this should watch the video I linked above, on full screen, volume cranked, and just take a look at what it means to be Stirlo.
  
  0:27 – BAM, acknowledges the crowd man-style, 0.25 seconds of focused celebration
  
  0:29 – Serious face, celebration over, mentally back in the game
  
  0:33 – More serious face, time to get moving (harden up Wendy & Brendy, no smiling, and stop loitering)
  
  0:37 – Purposeful jog back to the mark, brief acknowledgement of team-mates, no fannying about
  
  What a legend.
  - beeza
    
    Great moment – but WTF is that music?
http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/ Gagger

If it helps, I’m hoping Diggers is going to prove an able replacement
Bobas

Put this in your post and smoke it.
- Rhyso
  
  Cheers Bobas!
  
  The Bledisloe run I mentioned above is at 2:28 in that vid, here.
  
  That hit on Flutey is hectic.
- http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/ Gagger
  
  The hit on SBW. Morty’s legs are still pumping when he’s lying parallel to the ground. Trademark.
- Newb
  
  also that blow to woodcock. that’s how you drop the hammer.
http://www.nursedude.blog.com nursedude.blog.com

Mortlock is the type of guy you would want with you in a foxhole. A very brave and gutty individual. He’s been my favorite Australian player for a long time and will be missed.
DPK

in the whole time of watching stirlo, i have only one bad memory, and its countered by the hundreds of good memories of hits, tackles and sportsmanship.

(the bad memory is from a certain test in RWC 07, involves a kick and isnt really that bad.)
http://beerandsport.net Moses

This is a classic, Stirling is number 4 on a US based list of the manliest names in the world.
Noddy

yeah, the man is a legend. Sometimes when he played the ABs he was like he had spiders on him, so was there reluctance/inability to tackle him.

Obviously he had power, but his angles were perfect.

A mark of the man was that he always rose to the big event, often saving his best for the Blacks.

He didn’t kick for his debut test but how’s this for a follow up:

2nd test v ARG 2000: 1 try,1 cov, 5 pg = 22 pnts

3rd test v SAF 2000: 2 tries, 2 conv, 5 pg = 29 pnts

4th test v NZL 2000 (‘game of century’): 2 tries, 2 conv, 2 pg = 20 pnts

5th test v SAF 2000 = try, 2 conv, 4 pg = 21 pnts

6th test v NZL 2000 = try, conv, 3 pg = 16 pnts

7th test v SAF 2000 = conv, 4 pg (including match/trophy winner) = 14 pnts

122 pnts in 6 tests. I think it was a record (at least a Wallaby record) for fastest player to 100 test pnts.

Anyone know of a foreign player faster in terms of number of tests?
- Newb
  
  that’s one hell of a debut. i doubt we’ll see anything like it for a while as it seems every boy-child that comes up lately needs about 20 tests to get himself right.
Juan Cote

Morty had hair once?
- Bobas
  
  he got rid of it cos it slowed him down.
  
  He might start growing it again when he retires.
  - Cutter
    
    I heard he got rid of it to prove he was tougher than Samson.
JJJ

I think the mark of the man is the respect the best teams in the world have for him. I think all of New Zealand were shocked when he shaved his head and failed to reveal a “666″ birthmark, given how they believed him to be the Anti-McCaw. Their men fear him and their women want him.

His loss has hugely unbalanced our backline. Honestly I have trouble believing a backline with Gregan, Larkham, Giteau, Latham and Mortlock failed to make it through to the WC semis. Our forwards mustve been bloody awful.
Who Needs Melon

What’s his nickname in the land of the long white cloud? The evil wizard? I think the respect (fear?) they have shown to Mortlock is a fair indication of the class of the guy.

And he’s climbed to the top on pure guts and determination.
Boom-tish

A true champion. Must say, I also declared the same thing as the OP regards the name after the intercept try in the semi.

Mortlock Qantas Wallabies turns 4 this year
James

A true champion. one of our best and has a lot to proud of
Joe Blow

Morty, you are a legend of the Wallaby game. Thanks mate. Always put your body on the line for the cause and were able to take us the required distance with a kick from touch, an intercept try or a game changing tackle.
I salute you.
Hope to see you back for the Wallabies next year.
If this is it……the ABs will be breathing a little easier.
mudskipper

Stirling Mortlock is a champion, a great Wallabies captain and a genuine gentleman… I’m Looking forward to seeing take the field for the Brumbies next year… And hopefully the mid year internationals… All the best Morty…
Antony

I still hope he stays around for 2011…Amazing player and looks like a great bloke!